January 2020 FSMA Compliance Deadline for Very Small Growers

Per the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which became law in 2016, growers and harvesters are required to demonstrate that their policies, procedures and workers all comply with food safety practices. The FSMA law allowed for operations of varying sizes to demonstrate compliance over the course of the past three years, with large and small business compliance deadlines occurring in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

The last category of growers — very small businesses (more than $25,000, but no more than $250,000 in average annual produce sales during the previous three-year period) — must be in compliance by January 26, 2020. As part of that compliance, “at least one supervisor or responsible member of the farm” must complete food safety training approved by the Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA).

Agricultural organizations subject to this FSMA training requirement are encouraged to attend one of the FDA-approved Produce Safety Alliance grower training sessions, a few of which are listed below. Additional training sessions are added on an on-going basis, a listing of which can be found here.

October 21, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Ventura County Food Safety Association
Visitor’s Center at Limoneira
1141 Cummings Road
Santa Paula, CA
Fee: $200
RSVP: info@vcfsa.org or 805.415.1113

November 6, 2019 (ENGLISH SESSION)
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
SCCCD Herndon Campus
390 West Fir Avenue
Clovis, CA
Fee: $25 (includes course materials, lunch and certificate)
Register at: 559.243.7530

November 7, 2019 (SPANISH SESSION)
7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
SCCCD Herndon Campus
390 West Fir Avenue
Clovis, CA
Fee: $25 (includes course materials, lunch and certificate)
Register at: 559.243.7530

January 15, 2020
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
San Diego County Farm Bureau
420 South Broadway
Escondido, CA
Fee: $35 (includes course materials, lunch and certificate)       
RSVP online

January 28, 2020
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Radisson Hotel Santa Maria
3455 Skyway Drive
Santa Maria, CA
Fee: $35 (includes course materials, lunch and certificate)
RSVP online

February 4, 2020
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
Location TBD
Temecula, CA
Fee: $35 (includes course materials, lunch and certificate)       
RSVP online

February 12, 2020
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
San Diego County Farm Bureau
420 South Broadway
Escondido, CA
Fee: $35 (includes course materials, lunch and certificate)
RSVP online                                                                                                                   

February 13, 2020
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pala Mesa Resort
2001 Old Highway 395
Fallbrook, CA
Fee: $35 (includes course materials, lunch and certificate)
RSVP online

February 27, 2020
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau
4875 Morabito Place
San Luis Obispo, CA
Fee: $35 (includes course materials, lunch and certificate)       
RSVP online